Northern Lights

Did You Know?

The Voyageurs National Park Service claims you can see the Northern Lights 200 times per year here in Northern Minnesota.

Where can I see the Northern Lights in Minnesota?

Is viewing the Northern Lights on your bucket list? We often hear that, so created this page to improve your chance of viewing the beautiful Aurora Borealis. For your best chance to see the northern lights dance, you need a clear, dark sky and some patience! But we love the hunt & think it’s worth it.

Northern Lights resort on Lake Kabetogama is a top destination to to see the Aurora Borealis in Northern Minnesota

It is awe inspiring to view the northern lights reflect in our beautiful lake in the heart of Voyageurs National Park.

How do I know when I can see the Northern Lights?

On this page, we provide some of our personal favorite resources for you to predict viewing the Aurora wherever you are! The predictions are a “guideline” of how “high of a probability” you have to view the Northern Lights in your area.

It’s a complicated science, but the key is the sun’s solar activity! We have provided the simple tools to keep you informed.

Here are the basics for viewing the Northern Lights and understanding the predictions:

1. The aurora “storms” are assigned a “KP level” of intensity, which gives an indicator of the size of the storm.
2. The higher the KP, the higher the chance of you viewing the Northern Lights.
3. So, you have to know when the KP levels are peaking to see the northern lights!
4. The NOAA “real time” Ovation map, gives you the best picture of your viewing possibility.
5. The darker and clearer the sky the better. City lights will mask your ability to see the northern lights. And the darker the moon, the better!Tip: Scroll to the bottom of this page for reference links.

We have had the most success viewing the Auora Borealis by subscribing to the “Aurora Alerts” provided by Softserve Inc. We love it!

A monthly subscription, is cheaper than a cup of coffee at Starbucks!

The aurora alerts are tailored by you: to email, text or a phone call based on if you want to be awoken at night (or not)!

Enjoy this video created by Jim Brandenberg, a Minnesota Native, that has devoted his life to capturing on film the essence of the “north woods” in our beautiful border lakes region. This is just “1 day” of the Nature 365 videos and you can subscribe for free to a daily video of wilderness beauty at its finest. Jim captures the essence of the beauty and diversity of the great natural systems of the northern hemisphere, the boreal forest and the great plains, as they are when their wilderness is preserved.

Resources for Predicting Aurora Activity

For best viewing at our resort, we desire an Aurora Activity rating of: Moderate (4KP low on the horizon), Active(5KP) or High (>5KP).

To Learn More

Desktop Wallpapers

Click the following link to view the image. When the image loads, right click the image and select “Set as Desktop Wallpaper.” You can also right click and select “Save As” to save the image to your hard drive.